t about the horse, and not to have the
laugh agin at us about this."

"Well, that same law-shoot is not over with them yet," said Phaddhy;
"wait till the spring fair comes, and if I don't have a faction gathered
that'll sweep them out of the town, why my name's not Phaddhy! But where
is Matt till we sind him off?"

"Arrah, Phaddhy," said Katty, "wasn't it friendly of Father Philemy to
give us the hard word about the wine and mutton?"

"Very friendly," retorted Phaddhy, who, after all, appeared to have
suspected the priest--"very friendly, indeed, when it's to put a good
joint before himself, and a bottle of wine in his jacket. No, no, Katty!
it's not altogether for the sake of Father Philemy, but I wouldn't have
the neighbors say that I was near and undacent; and above all tilings,
I wouldn't be worse nor the Slevins--for the same set would keep it up
agin us long enough."

Our readers will admire the tact with which Father Philemy worked upon
the rival feeling between the factions; but, independently of this,
there is a generous hospitality in an Irish peasant which would urge him
to any stratagem, were it even the disposal of his only cow, sooner than
incur the imputation of a narrow, or, as he himself terms it, "undacent"
or "nagerly" spirit.

In the course of a short time, Phaddhy dispatched two messengers, one
for the wine, and another for the mutton; and, that they might not
have cause for any unnecessary delay, he gave them the two reverend
gentlemen's horses, ordering them to spare neither whip nor spur until
they returned. This was an agreeable command to the messengers, who, as
soon as they found themselves mounted, made a bet of a "trate," to be
paid on arriving in the town to which they were sent, to him who should
first reach a little stream that crossed the road at the entrance of it,
called the "Pound burn." But I must not forget to state, that they not
only were mounted on the priest's horses, but took their great-coats, as
the day had changed, and threatened to rain. Accordingly, on getting out
upon the main road, they set off, whip and spur, at full speed, jostling
one another, and cutting each other's horses as if they had been
intoxicated; and the fact is, that, owing to the liberal distribution of
the bottle that morning, they were not far from it.

[Illustration: PAGE 756-- They set off, whip and spur, at full speed]

"Bliss us!" exclaimed the country people, as they passed, "what on airth